Made In Hollywood

Chapter 947: The End

Coming to their seats in the Rosenberg Theater, Duke and his party hadn’t had a moment of peace since sitting down. Countless people came over to greet them one after another among them were executives from Hollywood’s six major studios, popular movie and music stars, social elites attending the ceremony, and even the owner of the largest cinema chain company across the Pacific.

"Oh God,"

Finally getting a moment to rest, Anna rubbed her face, stiff from smiling, and complained to Scarlett Johansson, "Mom, can’t they just let us have a little peace?"

Naturally, Duke heard that. He gently patted his daughter, who sat between them, and said, "My dear, socializing is a basic skill you must master."

As the sole heir to a massive fortune and a newcomer wanting to make a name for herself as a director, the importance of socializing went without saying.

Anna Rosenberg was merely complaining privately to her mother. She turned to Duke with an apologetic smile and said, "I know, Dad."

Just like Duke in his younger years, being private was one thing, but facing the public was another. Anna had received plenty of training in this area since childhood. When another person came to greet them, the stiffness on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a reserved yet graceful smile.

This year’s Academy Awards ceremony finally began. Although Duke’s new film Avengers vs. Justice League had grossed nearly $4 billion worldwide, it was still not given much attention by the Academy aside from a few technical categories.

Even though the old men who once controlled the Academy had mostly retired, the Oscars were still the same. Not only did they cling to their conservative judging style, but even the format and process of the ceremony remained unchanged.

The older members retired, only to be replaced by a new group of elders. People inevitably became more conservative as they aged — that was simply the way of things.

Though more than twenty years had passed, Duke still only had two Best Director Oscars. Yet no one could deny his achievements not even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences otherwise, there would never have been a Rosenberg Theater.

And the biggest favorite of this year’s Oscars was Sofia Coppola’s biographical film Duke Rosenberg!

Leonardo DiCaprio walked onto the stage as the presenter for the Best Picture nominees. The Academy had clearly put a lot of thought into it — the film he was introducing was exactly Duke Rosenberg.

"Some people seem to be born with the gift of directing and an endless sense of curiosity. He has created countless unforgettable moments, yet still strives for perfection, constantly challenging himself."

Standing at the center of the stage, Leonardo DiCaprio’s tone was solemn and serious, as though he were introducing the most extraordinary person in the world. "The Duke Rosenberg I know, just like the one in Sofia Coppola’s film, has spent his entire life studying cinema. He can turn every flicker of light and shadow he’s ever seen into something of his own, creating a unique style and telling beautiful, moving stories through his films."

He turned his gaze toward where Duke and his family sat. "In the past few decades of Hollywood, there have been many great directors — from Alfred Hitchcock to Martin Scorsese, from Steven Spielberg to James Cameron. They were all pioneers of their times. But none have ever achieved the same level of commercial success as Duke Rosenberg. Fifty billion dollars at the box office is the greatest proof of his legacy."

Thunderous applause filled the hall. After it subsided slightly, Leonardo continued, "He is a great director — intelligent, witty, and sometimes even humble. Of course, he’s also proud of his films, whether they are his early blockbusters or his later, thought-provoking works."

"Recently, he turned sixty," Leonardo said with a faint smile, "but you can still see the childlike spirit in him — perhaps even a kind of innocence. He’s filled with passion — for his next project, and for his fellow filmmakers."

Finally, Leonardo concluded, "Duke Rosenberg, nominated for Best Picture, tells the story of this truly great director!"

Applause erupted once again. Anna Rosenberg clapped hard, her eyes filled with open admiration and fervor as she looked at her father.

This was her father — his greatness needed no one’s validation. She had witnessed it countless times since childhood. He was her best example, her goal, and the person she longed to surpass.

With such a father, she couldn’t help but feel immense pride a man who could make adaptation films that drove both fans and non-fans wild, and who could create original works that swept across the world.

Anna remembered clearly that over a decade ago, when her father focused on comic book adaptations and the Star Wars series, many media outlets that disliked him had clamored that he’d exhausted his talent — that he no longer had the ability to make original films, and could only rely on adapting others’ works to maintain his fame and box office.

But her father paid no mind to outside opinions. He simply devoted himself to perfecting his scripts. That led to the Future War trilogy an original science-fiction series that swept across North America and the world, silencing every critic.

She remembered her mother once saying that since her birth, her father had made eighteen films half adaptations and half originals. The $30 billion in box office revenue was also evenly split, which alone was proof of his versatility as a filmmaker.

Though there were still those who claimed her father only knew how to make shallow sci-fi movies and couldn’t create films with true depth, Anna couldn’t care less. As she liked to say, using the Chinese she had learned over the years — those people were simply "jealous and bitter."

Thinking of this, Anna looked again at Duke. Duke turned his head and asked curiously, "What is it, dear?"

"Nothing." Anna shook her head, then whispered, "Dad, I just think you’re really great."

Duke couldn’t help but chuckle. "That doesn’t sound like something you’d say."

"I always say I’ll surpass you..." Anna’s tone carried a trace of frustration. "But everything you’ve achieved is just... too overwhelming."

Having such a father was, undeniably, a kind of pressure. But Anna wasn’t the type to vent it carelessly — she understood that pressure was what created motivation.

At that moment, the Oscar ceremony had reached its third-to-last award. The male presenter on stage announced, "And the Best Actress tonight goes to... Suri Cruise, Duke Rosenberg!"

"How could she win?" Scarlett frowned.

Anna quickly shut her mouth and stole a glance at her father, only to see him pretending not to have heard her mother’s words.

Her mother was still whispering complaints, which Anna could understand. After all, Suri Cruise had played the legendary actress Charlize Theron in her godmother’s film...

Though her mother had some complaints, and she herself hadn’t won the Best Short Film award earlier, it didn’t affect Anna’s mood—especially as she listened to Suri Cruise’s acceptance speech on stage, in which she repeatedly said, "My godfather is the person who has influenced my life the most. My achievements today are all thanks to his guidance and inspiration."

Anna slightly lifted her chin. If it weren’t for having a director like her father as her godfather, could an actress like Suri Cruise—with only average talent and poor social skills—ever achieve what she had today?

Just the title of Duke Rosenberg’s goddaughter was enough to make everyone in Hollywood treat her with extra respect.

In fact, Anna even felt that whether it was Suri Cruise or her godmother Sofia Coppola, the reason they had become Oscar favorites this year was all because they had starred in or directed the same film—Duke Rosenberg!

The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences weren’t fools; they knew exactly how terrifying her father’s global influence was. In today’s climate, where the Oscars faced criticism and its status was declining, having Duke’s support was of critical importance to the Academy.

Even an idiot would now know that her father had hundreds of millions of passionate fans around the world—the "Duke fans" could be found in every corner of the globe!

Just as Anna expected, the ceremony went exactly as predicted.

The aging George Lucas took the stage to present the Best Director award. "The Oscar for Best Director goes to Sofia Coppola, for Duke Rosenberg."

If she hadn’t directed her father’s biographical film, how many more years would her godmother have had to wait before winning the Best Director statuette?

Anna shook her head. She had seen all of her godmother’s films. Except for Lost in Translation, which was made right after leaving her father’s side, all her later works showed a steady decline in quality. It was clear—without her father’s help and influence, her godmother’s directing skills had deteriorated.

She looked once more at Duke. Just his name alone could influence the results of one of the world’s most prestigious film awards. When would she ever be able to reach such a level?

Suri Cruise’s father, Tom Cruise, now stood on the stage. After introducing the other Best Picture nominees, he said, "There is one film that faithfully records a director’s journey from a newcomer to a great master. I had the honor of witnessing this process firsthand. That film is—Duke Rosenberg!"

He tore open the large, vintage-style envelope. "The Oscar for Best Picture goes to... Duke Rosenberg!"

Applause erupted once again. Suddenly, the entire audience rose to their feet. Everyone, including the cameras, ignored Sofia Coppola’s production team completely and turned directly toward Duke’s seat. The applause was thunderous—so loud it seemed as if the very air was filled with the echo of the name Duke Rosenberg...

While clapping, Anna silently made up her mind. One day, she too would become as great as her father!

(The End)

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